This invention relates in general to computed radiography imaging systems and relates more particularly to a computed radiography imaging system in which exposed imaging plates are scanned while moved in a vertical direction.
Conventional film/screen radiography uses radiographic films which are not reusable. Computed radiography solves this problem by using reusable storage phosphor imaging plates, that can be exposed, read out, erased, and reused many times. Some computed radiography systems are flexible storage phosphor imaging plates which can be degraded through contact of the storage phosphor layer with plate handling rollers and the like. Another computed radiography system uses rigid storage phosphor imaging plates where plate handling mechanisms do not contact the storage phosphor layer. Although an improvement over systems using flexible imaging plates, the horizontal reading and erase path of such a system results in a computed radiography reader which is bulkier and slower than may be desirable. There is thus a need for a computed radiography system that is compact in size, has increased image plate throughput, and eliminate degradation of the storage phosphor due to the excessive handling.
According to a feature of the present invention there is provided:
A computed radiography (CR) reader comprising:
An image plate loading and unloading station for receiving in a vertical orientation a CR cassette including a light tight cassette shell and an image plate supported by an extrusion closing off said shell, said image plate storing a latent radiographic image;
a scanning station located below said loading and unloading station at which said image plate is scanned;
and an image plate transport assembly for removing said image plate from said cassette shell and for vertically transporting said image plate past said scanning station while said image plate is being removed from said cassette.
The invention has the following advantages.
1. The computed radiography system is compact in size.
2. The vertically oriented computed radiography system has increased image plate throughput compared to horizontally oriented systems.
3. Degradation of storage phosphor layer is minimized.